Plaid Tidings

Looking for some great deals on historical romances? Have a look at Mia Marlowe’swonderful books. Her lovely Scottish historical novella, Plaid to theBone, is currently on for FREE, and her full-length, RITA nominated historical, Plaid Tidings, is available for only $2.99. Check out her website for details and buy links!

I’m so happy to have Mia Marlowe featured again on the blog. Not only is she a fellow Kensingtonauthor, she’s a fantastic historical romance writer. An award-winning author, Mia writes for several publishers in a variety of historical romance sub-genres, including Regencies, Highland historicals, and in Viking historicals. Cool!

Mia has a brand new book out called Plaid Tidings. As you might be able to guess from the title, it’s both a Christmas romance and a Highland historical romance. It’s already been getting great reviews, including this stellar one from RT Book Reviews:

“Marlowe has penned a wonderful tale, rich in romance and wit. Replete with memorable characters and a touch of Scottish legend, this well-written romance is both poignant and highly entertaining. Not to be missed by fans of Scottish Regency.” ~4-1/2 Stars

Not any dashing English lord’s idea of a good time. But now that Lord Alexander Mallory has won a Scottish estate in a hand of cards, he is the unlikely laird of the wild, snowy Bonniebroch. Worse yet, the ancient pile of stones comes with a betrothal. To a fiery red-headed virgin. And a curse.

Alex will have his hands full honoring the first, seducing the second and breaking the third … all by Twelfth Night.

I’ve got this one lined up on my Kindle, and I know it’s going to be great! And here’s something fun–for my readers today, Mia is giving away a digital copy ofPlaid to the Bone, the prequel novella toPlaid Tidings. Just tell us what your favorite holiday recipe is–drink or food–for a chance to win a copy of Plaid to the Bone.

I’m so pleased to be hosting fellow historical romance author Mia Marlowe on the blog today. Mia is a fantastic writer who can fashion a captivating tale and place it in just about any historical period. It’s no mystery to me why she’s a bestselling, award-winning author! She’s with us today to share some very exciting news.

Plaid to the Bone is your 20th book, which is an amazing accomplishment. How do you feel about that? Has your writing career given you any surprises along the way?

I’m thrilled! And no one is more surprised than me. I’ve been published since 2006 and of course, my career has had its ups and downs. Please don’t ask me about the fiasco with my first agent (whom I had to threaten with legal action to get the advance on my debut!) or the sad sinking of Dorchester. Fortunately my editors (Alicia Condon at Kensington& Leah Hultenschmidt at Sourcebooks) have championed me and kept me in print. I have a wonderful agent now (Natasha Kern) and readers have kept reading. I’m a very lucky girl and I know it.

The heroine in Plaid to the Bone is pledged to murder her husband, which is an awesome basis for conflict! What can you tell us about the book, and how did you come up with such a splendid idea?

I had already written Plaid Tidings (October 2103, Kensington) in which my hero becomes laird of Bonniebroch Castle. Only trouble is, there’s a pretty hefty curse on the place which he must lift before Twelfth Night. My editor asked if I’d write a novella that explains how the castle came to be cursed in the first place, so Plaid to the Bone took shape in my head.

I reasoned that the curse was the result of a betrayal. At her father’s behest, Cait Grant has sworn a blood oath to kill Adam Cameron after they’ve been wed a month. What more heinous betrayal could there be than a bride who plans to murder her new husband?

You have another book coming out soon – what can you tell us about it?

In Plaid Tidings, 300 years have passed since the events in Plaid to the Bone. It’s 1821 and my hero Alexander is part of the advance team preparing the way for Prinny’s visit to Scotland. He’s on the look out for any remaining Radicals who might threaten the king. To hide his true purpose for being in Scotland, he wins Bonniebroch and the accompanying barony in a game of chance. What Alex doesn’t know is that the title comes with a betrothal to a Scottish lass whose brother is a notorious Radical. And to add to his troubles, the castle to which he brings his unwanted bride is haunted!

I’m hosting a 20Days/20Books Celebrationon my blog to mark my 20th published work milestone. Each day I share a bit about Plaid to the Bone, host amazing guests (like you, m’dear!) and reminisce about one of my backlist titles. There are multiple daily giveaways and the Grand Prize is a Kindle Paperwhite! I hope your readers will join me at http://www.miamarlowe.com. The celebration runs till September 15th and the winners will be announced the next day.

That all sounds awesome, Mia! And for my readers today, Mia is giving away a digital copy of her 3-book anthology, The How To Series. Just tell us why you love Scotland, or why you might like to visit there someday, for a chance to win.

Most of my readers know that I write contemporary romance with my husband as VK Sykes. We also love writing romantic suspense, and I’m thrilled to announce that our first book in this genre is now available. And for you fans of our sports romance series, The Philadelphia Patriots, you might be interested to note that Lethal Confessions is set against the backdrop of pro baseball.

Here’s the blurb:

The brutal murder of her twin sister drove Amy Robitaille into a career as a homicide detective for Palm Beach County. When a serial killer targets the wives of local baseball players, Amy has more than just a professional interest at stake—her only surviving sister fits the profile of the other victims. Amy’s hell-bent on catching the killer, not only to protect her sister but to destroy the demons haunting her since the death of her twin.

Baseball star and former soldier Luke Beckett has just retired from the game and is looking to move on with his life. When he’s asked to consult on the serial killer case for the local police, he finds the challenge he needs—despite the objections of lead detective Amy Robitaille. But Luke has no intention of backing away from the job and every intention of getting to know the intriguing detective.

Amy has no time to babysit a celebrity consultant while trying to catch a serial killer. But Luke is not the man she assumed him to be and he threatens to become a powerful distraction. That’s the last thing she needs, especially when the killer starts closing in on her family. But without Luke’s help, Amy stands to lose everything.

And to celebrate the release of Lethal Confessions, hubby and I are hosting a party on facebook, tomorrow from 7 – 9 pm. We’ll be joined by a bunch of great authors who will be giving away copies of ARCs and books. Here are the details:

And I almost forgot! I’m on a rolling excerpts blog tour all this week–each day, one blogger is posting an excerpt from Lethal Confessions and doing a giveaway of two of my books. For the schedule and links, please visit LitConnect. Today, I’m visiting with Stella Ex Libris.

I’m so excited that my first V.K. Sykes romantic suspense novel will be hitting virtual and print bookshelves this Tuesday, Sept. 10th. To celebrate the release of Lethal Confessions, my co-writer (my hubby) and I will be hosting a party on facebook – which will include visits from some fabulous authors and giveaways of their books. Here are the details: